DORO PESCH Says Her Biggest Love Is 'The Metalheads, The Fans'

TotalRock Radio conducted an interview with German metal queen Doro Pesch at this year's Hard Rock Hell festival in Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether not paying attention to gender has been the secret to her success:

Doro: "I always think that music is above that. Where you're from, or if you're a man or woman or transgender, music, I think, it has so much power, so much energy, so much love, so I think you don't even see the person; you feel the whole thing, maybe the message. I always try to give out a positive message to inspire people or empower people. I definitely want to do that. I always wanted to do it. I grew up in a truck. My dad, he was a truck driver, since I was a baby. I love traveling. I love being on the tour bus and when my dad, he delivered steel, he went to coal mines and everything, so it was pretty hardcore. The atmosphere was pretty rough, so I'm used to it. Actually, I learned from my dad you have to have a good work ethic, even as a musician, you can't sleep all day or be lazy, you have to work."

On her longevity:

Doro: "That's my biggest love — the metalheads, the fans. First, it was the music, then when I started touring, then I fell in love with just being connected to people. Then, if you get good feedback, oh my god…it's the fans."

On whether she is working on new music:

Doro: "Actually, the last record just came out one year ago. That was the first double album, 'Forever Warriors, Forever United', we will play many songs off that tonight, of course, all the classics, 'All We Are', 'Burning The Witches'. We are writing new songs, but a new record will take a while."

On whether she will have more collaborations on future studio albums:

Doro: "I like that. These songs on the record, with special guests, I think they are always magical. And then usually you become friends for life. Mille [Petrozza] of KREATOR, I just saw him two weeks ago or one and a half weeks ago, because I did one song in a movie and it was the world premiere and I met Mille at the premiere. It was so cool. It was cool to have all these people singing on 'All For Metal', and Johan [Hegg, AMON AMARTH], on the duet, 'If I Can't Have You - No One Will'. I would have loved to do something with Ronnie James Dio. We were so lucky: We toured the first time in '87 together. A long tour, we did many gigs in the U.K. I think it was two times at the Hammersmith [Odeon], then we did one long tour in the U.S. in 2000. There, we became really good friends."

Doro's successful "Forever Warriors, Forever United" tour will end on November 24 but will continue in March 2020.

Doro's latest album, "Forever Warriors, Forever United", was released in August 2018. The long-awaited follow-up to 2012's "Raise Your Fist" was the German singer's first release since 2016's "Love's Gone To Hell" single.